


There’ll Be No Crying Soon

by missfalcon51



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Drowning, Fear, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Swimming, Swimming Pools
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-11 20:58:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20552603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missfalcon51/pseuds/missfalcon51
Summary: This is based on the prompt of me learning that Roger didn’t learn to swim until he was 22. He had a fear of drowning.So Brian teaches him!(This is not relating to real life people, this work is not factual in any way)





	1. Needing, Unheard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ha! I’ve just re read this months later! My grammar was horrible but I can’t be asked to go back and fix it. Try to ignore it!

The thick mass of water pulled him further and further down. He waved his arms about, in a meagre attempt of saving himself, but he couldn’t. It was all too late.

“Roger? Roger!”  
Roger opened his eyes, gasping for the air that now surrounded him. The water was gone.

“Roger, listen to me, it’s just a dream, calm down!”  
Roger recognised the voice, it calmed him. He opened his eyes properly and looked over to the person next to him.  
Brian was crouching down next to Roger’s bed, looking at him with concern in his eyes. Roger could just about see him through the dark, his hair was all over the place, and the slight confusion on his own face showed that he had also just woken up.

“B-Brian... I-“ Roger stuttered, thankful that his friend was there to wake him up, “I-I was drowning and-“

He was cut off with Brian pulling him into a comforting hug.

“You’re okay, Rog, you’re okay” Brian rocked the younger man gently back and forth, bringing him back to earth again.

Roger was thankful to have a flatmate as wonderful as Brian, someone who cared for him.

***

A few minutes passed and Brian was now sat on a chair next to Roger’s bed, as Roger had insisted that he mustn’t leave him alone.

“I could hear you shouting, even from my room all the way down the hall, and I got really worried, I thought you were being stabbed!” Brian joked.

“Yeah,” Roger looked down, “sorry I woke you up”

“Hey, its fine, I couldn’t sleep anyway” Brian reassured him. Indeed, that was a lie, he was sleeping very peacefully until screams about two octaves higher than the average person snapped him out of his slumber.

Brian changed the subject.  
“So what were you dreaming about, anyway?” Brian asked Roger, who was sat up in bed, showing no signs of sleeping anytime soon.

Roger shifted uncomfortably, “well, I was in some kind of pool and... I was drowning and I thought I was going to die” he said the last part barely above a whisper.

Brian’s heart broke as he looked at the terrified expression on the younger man’s face. His big blue eyes were glistening in the low light from the bedside lamp that was turned on.

The guitarist reaches out and puts his hand on top of Roger’s. At first, he flinched, but then relaxed into his touch.

“You couldn’t swim back up?” He asked carefully.

Roger turned his head to look at him, on the verge of tears. Was it from his dream, or from sheer embarrassment?

“I-I can’t swim Brian... I’ve never been able to swim”

Brian was slightly confused, but tried not to let it show, “you never learned how to swim as a child?”

“No”

That explained why Roger never came in the sea when Brian, Roger, and their friends Freddie and John all went on trips to the beach. — Or why he always sat out on trips to the local swimming pools. Brian wasn’t really shocked, but just surprised at how he had managed to know Roger 5 years without knowing this.

Roger sighed, “sorry I never told you”

“Hey, its fine, don’t worry” Brian gave the drummers hand a squeeze before standing up, “can i go to bed now?”

“Oh... yeah, sure” chuckled Roger, apologising for keeping him up.

“Shout me if you need me”

“Will do”

***

Roger woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee and... bacon? But Brian was vegetarian?

Roger shuffled over to the bathroom, quickly getting ready before throwing on some clothes that he probably stole from Brian.

The drummer walked down the hall, into the kitchen where Brian was stood with a frying pan, holding it at arms length.

“Brian?”

The guitarist turned to look at him, sighing. “I made you breakfast, Rog.”

Roger had to admit that it smelled lovely, he adored bacon, but Brian would never cook it for him, and so it just sat in the fridge as Roger couldn’t even boil an egg.

“Thanks but... why are you making bacon? You’re a vegetarian?”

Brian put the pan down, grimacing at the food inside.

“Does this look like the face of someone that WANTS to be cooking bacon?” He deadpanned, “but you know I’d do anything for you”

Roger almost melted, Bri was just too cute.

They sit down together, Roger munching happily at his breakfast while Brian sipped gracefully at a lot of grapefruit juice.

Suddenly, Brian clears is throat to get Roger’s attention.

“I had an idea...” he begins.

Roger looks up at him, mouth full of food.

“Mm? Mwhat ish it?”

“I want to teach you how to swim”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ya liked it


	2. Pleading, One Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swimming lessons!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry I took ages to update, I wrote this chapter and then the whole bloody thing deleted itself. I had to re-write it.
> 
> This is the end, pls give me suggestions for other things to write x

Roger almost choked.

“What? Why would you want to-“

“Because I really want to help you” Brian looked at roger almost pleadingly.

“I know but you don’t have to waste your time trying”

“Please?”

“Okay. If you want. But don’t get mad if I can’t do it”

“Why would I get mad? Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. We’ll go to the local swimming pool and I’ll teach you!”

“M’kay”

The next half an hour was spent with the pair frantically rushing around trying to put together some kind of swim bag to take with them. Now, when I say ‘the pair’, I mean mostly Brian, with Roger sat watching.

“Towels, towels! Where are the fucking towels?” Muttered Brian as he scurried about the flat. Roger was sat on the sofa, eating a sandwich..

“I don’t know. Why are we in such a hurry?”

“Pool closes in an hour, some kids booked a birthday party” Brian called from the bathroom, where he was now searching for the towels.

“The selfish twats!”

The drive to the local leisure centre was weird. Roger was shitting himself with nerves and was trying to hide it, but it wasn’t working at all.

Brian saw straight through his disguise. “Hey, you’ll be just fine, I’ll be right there with you, you know”

The younger man looked down at his hands, “Yeah I know, I guess I’m just... scared of facing my fears”

“I get it, these things can be super scary, but it’s important that you learn to swim, Rog”

“I know”

Once they had parked, the two buys rushed into the building and toward the changing rooms, Roger loosely arguing with Brian while struggling to keep up with his long strides.

“But I could have driven us here! You never let me drive” the blonde man whined.

Brian sighed, “firstly, you were pissing yourself with nerves, and secondly, it’s MY car!”

They stopped instantly as they read the sign on the changing room door, right in front of their faces.

-COMMUNAL CHANGING-

Roger laughed hysterically, “um, no fucking way. I cant do that! What if people see me naked? What if we get famous and people say ‘I saw Roger Taylor’s dong’”. He tried to walk away, but Brian grabbed him.

“Enough girls have already seen your dong, Roger. And look, its literally empty.”

The changing room WAS completely empty, probably because everyone had already left because of that kids birthday party, but Roger still insisted that Brian held the towel in front of him while he changed incase someone walked in.

“Are you done yet?” Sighed the guitarist, arms hurting from holding the towel in front of the younger man.

“No yet. Don’t you dare drop it”

After what seemed like forever, both the boys were changed, and Roger began to walk out into the pool, but Brian stopped him.

“Wait” He rummaged into the swim bag and produced..... two bright orange arm bands.

The drummer laughed in his face.

“No fucking way, mate. Not a chance. There is no way in hell that those are going anywhere near-“

Brian walked out into the pool room. Roger followed closely behind, wearing two bright orange arm bands. The pool was completely deserted apart from a small family in the kiddie pool. A blonde haired man with his wife and daughter, they all looked slightly hippie-ish.

He turned and waved happily, shouting across the large room, “Hey man, have fun”

“See?” Said Brian turning to the sheepish looking man behind him, “no judgement here”

They approached the pool ladder, and Roger suddenly felt rather nervous.

“Look, Brian, I don’t think I want to do this that much”

Brian had climbed into the pool. They were in the shallow end, but it was still quite deep. Brian could obviously stand up, given his height.

Brian looked at the younger man who was stood at the top of the pool ladder, looking rather sheepish.   
“Remember What I said? I’m right here, you’re going to be fine, Rog” he tried to assure his friend.

Roger took a deep breath and slowly climbed down the ladder, with Brian stood a couple of feet away from him.

Naturally, he slipped.

The drummer landed in the water with an embarrassing splash, he failed to stay afloat. He flailed his limbs about in an attempt to stay above the water, but it wasn’t working. He let out a sort of squeal as the water went up his nose. He was a mess.

“Hey, Hey” Brian chuckled as he lifted the struggling man up into his arms, resting his head against his chest, “I’ve got you, you’re okay!”

Roger stopped spluttering and almost went limp in Brian’s arms.

“Sorry” he mumbled.

“Why are you apologising? I get it, these things take time, don’t worry about it” Brian reassured him, “look, try and stand up, you should be able to reach the floor here”

Roger did as he was told, and, to his relief, he was able to put his feet on the floor.  
His head just about poked above the water. He must’ve looked ridiculous to Brian, who was a full head and shoulders above the water.

“Try moving your arms like this” Brian moved is arms in a breaststroke motion, which Roger copied, “that’s it!”

Brian showed Roger how to kick with his legs while holding onto the side of the pool, congratulating him on each small achievement. He tried to sound encouraging but not patronising, but Roger didn’t seems to mind at all, he just liked the praise.

After Roger seemed to have grasped the movements, Brian go his attention.

“Do you want to try swimming properly now” he asked, smiling encouragingly.

Roger struggled for words, “i-I don’t-“

“Come on, I’ll hold you, you’re not going to drown”

Before Roger could argue, Brian put his hands on his waist and lifted him so he was floating horizontally. Roger gasped at the sudden movement, but giggled at the fun of it all.

“Is this okay? Just start kicking like we practiced”

Roger started the swimming movements just like Brian had showed him, he couldn’t help the massive smile that spread across his lips as he slowly began moving forwards.

Brian held him, ready to whisk him back into his arms if he panicked.

“Am I doing it?” Roger asked, hopefully.

“Hell Yeah you are! You’re doing so good!”

Brian slowly removed his hands from around Roger and allowed him to swim on his own, but still staying fairly close to the happily paddling Roger in case he should need him.

“I’m doing it! It’s so easy!” Laughed Roger happily, earning a big grin from Brian.

“Good job, bro!” Shouted the man from the kiddie pool, he looked as though he might cry as he began clapping very loudly, followed by the rest of his family “I’m so proud of you man!”

There was about 15 minutes left before the pool closed, and it as now completely deserted. The man had left, and now just Brian and Roger remained in the large pool.

Roger was swimming his way around the pool happily, venturing all the way out to the deeper end.

Brian watched him, but kept his distance as to give the younger man some independence with his newly learnt skill.

Roger began excitedly rambling, “we can do so much together, now! We should hang out more. Hey, I can even come to the beach with you, John, and Freddie! It’s gonna be so great! We can-“

It was then when Roger managed to inhale a massive gulp of water. 

He began coughing like a maniac, and just completely forgot everything. He was so focused on the fact that he couldn’t breathe, that he just couldn’t move his arms anymore. He let out a quiet sob as he began sinking under the water.

It took a few seconds for everything to register its Brian. Roger was drowning!

It also took a few seconds to process that he was all the way over the other side of the pool.

“SHIT!”

Brian didn’t think twice before he began swimming as fast has he humanly could over to the end of the pool where Roger was. Why didn’t he stay with him? That end of the pool was over 2 metres deep and Roger was completely under the water now. Brian prayed that he hadn’t passed out.

After what was really about 12 seconds, but felt like a lifetime, Brian reached the bit where Roger was. He poked his head under the water and saw him. He was letting out the odd pathetic kick while curled up in a ball, sinking not far from the bottom. Brian couldn’t help but notice how Roger looked like a mermaid with his hair floating about his face.

The guitarist surfaced and took a deep breath before pushing himself down under the water, swimming vertically down towards his friend. The water pressure screamed at his ears, but he didn’t care.

He finally reached Roger, who could be heard making soft whimpering noises under the water. He grabbed him under the arms and began swimming upwards again, struggling to drag Roger’s weight with him.

Brian surfaced with a gasp, yanking Roger up to the surface along with him as soon as he possibly could. He began treading water as Roger took a massive breath of air, coughing up water as he did so. Brian swum to the side of the pool, holding Roger close to him. He immediately began sobbing as he clung to Brian.

Brian, who was still very shaken up, hauled the trembling Roger up the ladder, laying him down on the side of the pool as he grabbed someone’s abandoned towel and swaddled him in it, pulling him up so that the blonde man’s head was resting on his chest. He gently rocked him back and forth as Roger resumed being a coughing, crying, trembling mess.

“Shhhh, I’ve got you, you’re safe” Brian was shocked at how shaky his own voice sounded.

“I-I nearly drowned” Sobbed Roger, clinging to Brian.

“You didn’t drown, honey, you’re completely safe. I’m so, so sorry I wasn’t closer to you, I couldn’t get it you fast enough and-“ Brian rambled, feeling awful for being so far away.

A small voice interrupted him, “you saved me” leaving no room for arguments.

Once both the boys had calmed down, Brian sat Roger up next to him as they leaned against the wall, putting his arm around him protectively.

Roger broke the silence, giggling “well that went well”

Brian turned Roger’s chin to look up at him.  
“You did amazingly! You learned to swim in half an hour. Of course there will be little speed bumps, but you’ve got it, you’re doing so well!”

Roger looked up and smiled at him through his long lashes. “Thank you”

Brian was so happy to have his friend back in that moment, that he couldn’t resist pulling him in for a hug. They clung onto each other, Roger wrapped in a bright pink towel while sighing contently.

“I love you, mate”

“Love you too”

They were interrupted by a small coughing sound from across the room.   
There was a little group of seven year old girls in swimming costumes all staring at them.

One of them nudged her friend and whispered, “Ella, is this meant to be part of your birthday party?”

“I... I don’t think so”

Brian blushed horribly, standing up quickly and walking towards the changing rooms, dragging Roger with him, who was cackling.

“Did you see that girls face?” Roger wheezed, “did she think her mum had ordered strippers for her birthday?”

Brian couldn’t help the giggle that escaped him from just seeing Roger so happy.

“Yes, yes, very funny. Now get changed”

As they got back into the car to drive home, Roger poked Brian in the arm, getting his attention.

“Mm?”

“Thank you”


End file.
